Overview

Meridian by Josin L. McQuein

The electrifying sequel to Arclight, which Pittacus Lore called "powerful and gripping." Those within the Arc thought that they were the last humans left after the world was destroyed—but they were wrong. There are more survivors. But there is also more to be afraid of. A suspenseful sci-fi thriller to hand to fans of Veronica Roth, Stephen King's Under the Dome, and Justin Cronin's The Passage.

Marina thought she had solved all of the Arclight's mysteries. But there is so much more that Marina is only discovering now. There are more people out there; those in the Arclight compound aren't the only humans who survived the Fade, the monsters that destroyed civilization. Only Marina—and her friends, all of whom have connections to the Fade they never knew about—can lead everyone to the other survivors. But there are also darker dangers that even the Fade fear. The sequel to Arclight, Meridian is an intense, action-packed page-turner about the lines we draw between right and wrong, light and dark . . . and how nothing is ever that black and white.

About the Author

Josin L. McQuein was born and raised in Texas. Now she and her three dogs live in a town so small that the buffalo outnumber the people. She is the author of Arclight and Premeditated.

Editorial Reviews

Praise for Arclight: “Powerful and gripping straight out the door—Arclight will keep you up at night, if you dare stay awake.”

Pittacus Lore

“Marina has a strong but inexplicable connection to the Fade, [and] she and Tobin enter dangerous dark territory to discover the truth.”

Booklist

This sequel to Arclight (HarperCollins, 2013/Voya June 2013) picks up where the previous book left off. In an apocalyptic future, humans live in a light-surrounded military base. The world beyond the light is occupied by the Fade, a community of nanite-infested humans. The Arc, the system of lights that surrounded the base, was brought down in the last installment, leaving the humans vulnerable. Now a new threat reveals itself in the form of more nanite-infested creatures, although these are wild, not the hive-like Fade, and may pose a danger to both communities. While the humans try to deal with this new threat, Marina, who used to be a Fade, deals with the alter-ego that still remains within her, Cherish. While she enjoys the independence of her human self, she still longs for the sense of belonging she left behind. Tobin, the alternate main character, also struggles with his identity since he has been plagued by strange visions ever since a Fade healed him. This installment does not stand alone; previous knowledge of the world and the characters is necessary to pick up the threads of the story. That said, the world building is interesting and the characters are well defined. This is one for fans of dystopian science fiction and for those who enjoyed the first book. Reviewer: Brenna Shanks; Ages 11 to 18.

VOYA, October 2014 (Vol. 37, No. 4) - Brenna Shanks

It has been forty-nine days since the Arc fell and the Fade walked into the compound. But, no one died and no one was taken into the Dark. The Arclight refugees thought they were the only survivors of the Fadethe creatures who destroyed civilizationbut they were wrong. Marina knows there are others out there. Living as part Fade and part human is complicated, to say the least, but it has its advantages, and Marina is not going to stop until she figures out what else is living out past the Grey. Readers who have not read the first book in this series will be able to catch on quickly to the storyline and follow it easily. Though this is clearly a dystopian/sci-fi novel, it should reach a wider audience. Readers will love the duality of Marina and Cherish with Cherish being the Fade and Marina being the human, but they each can hear one another and feed off one another. The relationship between Cherish’s love interest, Rueful (who is a Fade), and Marina’s human love interest, Tobin, provides humor in tense situations since neither boy likes the other and is constantly vying for Marina/Cherish’s affections. This book has a little something for everyone and readers will look forward to the next in the series. Reviewer: Brandi Young; Ages 12 to 18.

VOYA, April 2016 (Vol. 39, No. 1) - Brandi Young

2014-03-03This sequel to Arclight (2013) continues the apocalyptic story of a colony that has survived an invasion of nanites that absorbed most of the human race. Marina keeps a great secret: Her alter ego, Cherish, a Fade, survives inside her. As explained in the previous book, the Fade are threatening creatures who absorb humans with only a touch, streaming their nanites into human bodies and joining them to the hive, a collective mind in which every Fade can hear all others and operate as one. The Fade cannot stand light, so to protect themselves, the humans live on a former military base surrounded by strong lights. In this sequel, the real threat comes from a wild colony of nanite creatures that's trying to overwhelm the civilized Fade along with the rest of the world. When a group that includes Marina and her friend Tobin makes an excursion outside the compound, they find more human survivors—and the wild creatures of the Dark. McQuein embraces the vision of her apocalyptic world, communicating it to readers by simply plunging them into it as she unfolds the story. Though the lack of exposition may trip them up at first, readers will begin piecing the puzzle together, a process aided by nicely rounded characterizations. By the time of the highly suspenseful climax, all will become clear. Worldbuilding and characterization are the highlights of this inventive post-apocalyptic adventure. (Science fiction. 12-18)